Mario's debut on the 3DS was, appropriately, called Super Mario 3D Land. And never in the series 19-year history has the game had a numbered sequel (well, technically there's Mario Kart 64, but it was not the 64th game in the series.) So why is the franchise's 3DS version, due out in North America next week, called Mario Kart 7 and not, say, Mario Kart 3D?

"Coming up with the title was actually a lot of trouble for us," series creator Shigeru Miyamoto told Famitsu, "but it is the seventh game, and so it just sort of came down to what felt best. Besides, 7 is supposed to be a lucky number, isn't it?"

Well, I suppose so ... seems a little strange to start the numbering convention now, like, I dunno, this movie, or something. But it is the seventh version of the game (on console; two were released for the arcade).

Don't expect anything really transformative in how the game plays, Miyamoto said. "The core of Mario Kart is pretty solid by this point and I think it's safe to have it evolve in a pretty staid and traditional manner," he added. "The basic message here is 'Mario Kart's been powered up for the Nintendo 3DS.'" That means implementing the traditional features of the racing game with capabilities like StreetPass, for multiplayer challenges and, of course, the 3D visuals.